In Loki's Honor Life 29 - Chapter 37 - Engendered

The observer effect. A concept from quantum chanics in which a probability cloud collapses when one makes an observation, throwing a myriad of possibilities down the drain, creating parallel universes where every which choice was the correct one, and steering you down the path of what you observed. While modern science hadn't proved parallel universes, it hadn't disproved it either, and the math suggests it might be possible.

But one didn't need to go as far as asuring the probability cloud of a particle's location, or murdering cats in black boxes, or either sothing as far-fetched as splitting the universe over and over again to feel the observer effect in action. Removing the Dungeon had a profound impact on Vugh Tarim and Windere.

Sothing was there one day, then vanished without a trace. The few sentries stationed at the keep dutifully reported my activities that night. A glowing creature tossed fireballs all over the Dungeon, and then it was all sucked into a big hole. That would be the end of it in this primitive world if the ones holding the Dungeon weren't dwarves. They knew the underground very well and also knew that all that earth and stone had to go sowhere.

That sa night, back in my room, I checked my Perks. First the leftover five Perks from the first rank.

Customized Tools (very rare): If you have a Proficiency that makes use of the item you are crafting, you add half of it to your crafting effort.Beginner's Luck (rare): The first ti you craft an item, its quality is (Luck)% higher than it should be. You also gain that much proficiency.Tail Channeling III (very rare): Spells cast with your tail focus are 57.8% cheaper to maintain.Tail Evasion (rare): Your tails have a 50% evasion bonus against attacks aid at them. They naturally flow away from incoming attacks without conscious effort.Tail Deflection (very rare): You can parry attacks with your tails. They take damage as normal for a parry with an arm.

Now, the juicy second-rank ones. As I thought, in this rank the Species Perks favored my dwarven side. I almost fainted when I saw what I had available.

Stoneborn (very rare): When underground or surrounded by a sufficient amount of stone, your resources recover 50% faster.Stoneflesh (very rare): Your flesh is strong as stone. You gain 10 base HP and 1 extra Base HP per level.Fire Heart (ultra-rare): You are attuned to the power of elental fire. Bleeding wounds sear shut, reducing the amount bled and duration to a third. Fire attacks heal you for 10% of the damage before reductionsEarthshaper (rare): When using your magic to manipulate Earth and stone, you affect double the volu or mass and the quality of your work is 50% higher.Stalwart Defender (rare): When defending a position or another creature, you gain your ho ground bonuses.Paralysis Resistance I (rare): Paralytic effects last 25% less and reduce your mobility by only 90%.Paralysis Resistance II (rare): Paralytic effects last 43.75% less and reduce your mobility by only 80%

And finally, the Class Perks.

Practiced hands (very rare): Every ti you craft another of the sa item, the speed penalty of your Detailed Crafting drops by a linear 0.5%.Detailed Crafting III (rare): Your creations are (Dexterity/2 30)% more detailed and valuable but take 50% longer to craft.Precision Crafting (rare): Your creations are (Dexterity 50)% more detailed and valuable but take 50% longer to craft.Multitasking III (rare): If your workshop is properly set, you can conduct up to five different tasks at the sa ti, only one of them requiring fine manipulation.Force Tongs (very rare): You can summon tongs made of Force magic you can manipulate with great precision up to SQRT(Magic) ters away from you. Each pair of tongs cost 10 MP/s to maintain and are as strong as your (Strength Magic).Material Sinergy (very rare): For each additional expensive material you add to a non-consumable item that doesn't have a precise recipe, the value and enchantnt potential increase by a linear 20%.

Good, very good. I was worried because {Detailed Crafting} was eating away my productivity, but {Practiced Hands} solved it neatly. After making 101 of the sa item, I would only gain the bonuses without the drawbacks. Seed like a good trade. I didn't see why I couldn't use {Force Tongs} to do anything, from brushing my teeth to pinning down enemies in combat. I had to test it. Finally, {Material Sinergy} was aweso. Now I could finally finish the project I started to draft weeks ago after I settled down with Helger. Let's see how he complains about leaving fine platinum burrs behind when he sees what I'll make for him.

I should review my Proficiencies. So of them advanced with my levels as I had several Perks that automatically gave points in them as I leveled. I fiddled with the System settings and cajoled the automated query until it flagged those proficiencies for . They now had a (*) or (**) next to their na if they advanced without being assigned a Proficiency pick. One asterisk advanced at one point every five Species levels, two asterisks advanced by one each level.

Appraiser (*) [238]. Select one Ability

Recipe: You can attempt to learn the crafting process of an item.

This book's true ho is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Furtivity [ 553 / 604 ]. Select one Ability

Slippery Mind: Gain (Proficiency/50) Willpower.

ntal Mastery [ 526 / 577 ]. Select one Ability

Focused Mind: Gain (Proficiency/50) Mind.

Spellcaster (**) [ 662 ]. Select two Abilities

Enchanter: Gain (Proficiency/50) Charisma.Spirit Caster: Gain (Proficiency/15) base SP.

Physician (*) [168]. Select one Ability

Health Checkup: Patients you've treated add (Proficiency/2) to Endurance to determine negative HP threshold for (Proficiency/10) days.

Alchemist (*) [ 330 ]. Select two Abilities

Property Prospection VI: You have a (Proficiency/10)% chance to find new properties in rare or new ingredients. You can only inspect a single item type once.Property Prospection VII: You have a (Proficiency/8)% [...]

Enchanter [ 428 / 441 ]. Select three Abilities

Hidden Enchantnt: Add (Proficiency/4) to the difficulty to detect your enchantnts.Disguise Aura: Add (Proficiency/4) to the difficulty to perceive an item as enchanted.Misleading Info: Add (Proficiency/10) to the difficulty to detect or perceive the enchantnt. Failure to beat this added difficulty will display another predetermined set of enchantnts.

Cartographer [ 222 / 273 ]. Select two Abilities

Faster Survey: The ti for any "Survey" abilities is reduced by (Proficiency/5)%.Shorthand Notation: Your maps may contain (Proficiency/5)% more information.

Diplomat[ 398 / 447 ]. Select five Abilities

Diplomatic Immunity II: If the other party becos hostile, you suffer neither damage nor effects from their attacks for (Proficiency/40) seconds.Diplomatic Immunity III: [...] for (Proficiency/30) seconds.Diplomatic Immunity IV: [...] for (Proficiency/20) seconds.Diplomatic Entourage: Your diplomatic protections cover up to (Proficiency/30) extra creatures, determined before you start negotiations.Failed Treaty: Your diplomatic protections may trigger because of a failed negotiation too.

Silkweaver (*) [153]. Select one Ability

Incorporate Materials: Materials you add to your woven creations share the properties of your thread.

For these last three, I didn't pick anything.

Miner (*) [48]. Select three Abilities

talsmith (*) [42]. Select two Abilities

War Technique (**) [113]. Select seven Abilities

Damn, that was a lot.

Ti to go socialize a bit.

Helger ambushed with the bad news over breakfast. I would be nervously flicking my tails if they were out. But since we were in the presence of other dwarves, I kept my kitsune heritage hidden, shapeshifting my ears and tailbone with those of an unnad previous dwarven life of mine.

"I'm sorry, daughter. You can't go back to the Academy. It would be too suspicious," Helger gave so terrible news. "His Majesty feels Windere struck against us and all of us smiths are now in charge of making weapons. You too, let's go."

The dwarves usually made als in one of the dozens of taverns spread all around in the mountain. We didn't have houses like those on the surface. A series of interconnected rooms carved in the stone but usually no kitchen. Using fire inside the mountain was sothing strictly regulated. And since dwarves liked to wash everything down with alcohol, the als were taken in the local tavern with your neighbors. That was one of the secrets of the tightly-knitted dwarven communities.

Hiding my cheeky smile, I asked, "What happened?"

"Sothing destroyed the Black Dragon Dungeon," he shouted feigning anger, "That's what happened!"

"Could it have been Windere?"

"Ha! The fools over there can't even pick a King, much less make a Dungeon vanish like that. I think it was so deity or even another dragon!"

"So, why lock everyone here?"

"His Majesty's reasons are his own. We just obey. Finish your food and ale. We have work to do."

This ti, we didn't go to the smithy in the caverns deep below. We went to the hottest place in Vugh Tarim, a place so hot the air flickered with heat. Several sealed kilns burned the coal from the depths, purifying it into coke, and then this coke was burned in the furnaces and forges. The sound of hamrs mauling tal was like waves crashing against a cliff during a storm.

The enormous hall had several nooks in its snaking walls where the dwarves had their tools and anvil. All of them working here all had a high degree of Fire resistance. And an even higher Proficiency in their chosen field An enchanted chimney soaked the flying soot and smoke from the forges and transford it into more coal. A mountain of slag piled up at the end. If only soone could Decompose that and retrieve the tals lost therein.

Helger led to one particular nook where Baritono was busy slting ores. He took over the main anvil at the center and pointed to a smaller one on a corner of the workspace next to the bellows.

"That's the apprentice's anvil. You'll take care of it like it's the last mug of ale in your life!" He ordered. "You can work on any projects you want if I don't commission anything, but if I order you to work the bellows or anything else, you'll do as instructed. Understood?"

"Yes Sir!" I saluted.

Puzzled by my unknown body language, Helger closed one eye and raised the other eyebrow. He decided to not ask as he took a scroll from his storage ring and checked the orders we had.

"I want fifty throwing daggers. Start making them!"

I made the throwing daggers and other small items, like arrowheads, buckles, or links for maille armor. Helger appraised them.

"You picked {Detailed Crafting}, right?" He was disappointed.

"It's {Precision Crafting} and {Practiced Hands} actually. If I make a hundred of an item, the penalty vanishes forever."

He mumbled, "You sunk five Perks to make fancy decorations… And one of them rank… never mind. Don't tell anyone you made those."

He kept handing orders for small items. After the third day, I couldn't hear the cascading sound of hamrs anymore. I worked twelve hours at the smithy, and then eight doing enchantnts. Grinding those final fast-growth levels. I'd reached 400 but the 441 dangling right in front of was too close to not go for it. And with only seven more points I could get another Ability.

I was worried about how things were in Windere. If shit was being tossed into the fan here, I could only wonder what was happening over there.

That's why I slipped out of Vugh Tarim on one night of my third week away from school to check on what was going on over there.